For whose glory?

In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade the last of the knights guarding the grail asks a very nice question to the people who are eager to lay their hands on the grail. "For whose glory are you seeking the grail; for his glory or yours?".

Software development every day poses this question to the software builder. The person creating the software trying to to show off his knowledge can create immensely complex piece or think what is needed by the end user and make the software that serves the end user needs.

Random thought: What is the value of a film star

If the movie makers can answer the simple question:
1. Do the people come to the movie to watch the star?

If answer is "it is less than 50% probable", then that star is really not a star. So it is better to check if that star is really worth the money.

Most of the times, people go to watch the movie & rarely a star.

Arishadvarga and path for evolution beyond

It is nice to gain more insight in to what actually will help me to become a better human being. I am supposed to have equanimity with control over kama, krodha, lobha, mada, moha, matsara. It means I retain the capacity to feel these emotions but not driven by these. Not being able to feel any emotion makes me inert. Inertness is not the goal of evolution.

The goal of evolution is to be fully functional with mindfulness. Once I manage the arishadvarga, & learn to be empathetic/loving, I have found what every seeker searches in life.

Insight is good, but practice is what makes a person. Long way to go for me to become a better human being.

Note:
Arishadvarga : 6 categories of enemies on the path of a person's evolution
Ari: Enemy
Varga: Category
Shat: 6

Kama : Desire
Krodha : Anger
Lobha : Greed
Mada : Arrogance
Moha : Attachment
Matsara : Jealousy

Alchemist/Steve Jobs - Achieving Excellence - What are common lessons?

The Alchemist:
•The story of a boy named Santiago. He starts off as a person who wanted to fulfill the wishes of his parents by becoming a priest. On realization of his yearning to see the world, he gets his father to agree to let him realize his wish to roam around. He becomes shepherd. Then dreams of a treasure in Egypt buried near the pyramids. He goes on the journey to find this treasure. Along this journey finds his true love, finds the teacher, learns about the oneness that manifests itself in multitude of forms, learns about letting go, and learns to listen to his heart. He in the process learns to become one with the universe and yet retain his individuality.
•The central message hence is about making the journey and along the way learning to let go of my fears, doing what gives one the happiness, and learning about the unity behind all diversity. This automatically lets the one to realize oneself.

Steve Jobs:
A person born to unwed mother, an adopted child, a college drop out (wanted to graduate in liberal arts), a person with tremendous sense of opportunity, drive to accomplish things, & finally a person with lots of luck. He is a vegetarian, been to India, believes in Zen Buddhism. His sense of aesthetics and minimalism have been the key driver for many usability improvements. He has founded 3 companies Apple, NeXT, & Pixar. He was thrown out of the company that he founded, & then returned to the same company to create iPod+iTunes, iMac, & iPhone.
Ill treated all most all of people worked with & lived with. Why people work with him?
What makes him tick despite idiosyncrasies?
All the people worth their salt really want to do is leave some legacy behind (other than their genes). It pleases them when somebody recognizes and challenges them to achieve what many think is impossible. Steve is the past master in it.
Life As He describes: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1422863/posts

What can we learn:

•The key to reaching the goal is moving towards the goal. It is moving in the right direction, but not how fast I move.
•The essence is in doing the things to realize the dreams rather than gaining knowledge about how to realize the dreams (The Englishman trying to master alchemy by reading, but not doing any experiments). Only action or movement takes me towards realizing my goal. (Steve trying to build a CPU without fan)
•Only when I learn to not let the thought of preserving what I already have hinder me, I will start to make progress in gaining something new. This is also the only way to realize my destiny or make progress. I have to move forward from the place where I am starting to walk. I can’t just desire to be in a new place without letting go of my previous place (Boy deciding to move from Oasis to seek his treasure near the Pyramids or for Steve Jobs - Abandoning Lisa, Getting kicked out of Apple etc., starting Pixar They say creative destruction. It is necessary.)
•Everything has a time and a place. I am so jaded by my preconceived notions that I hesitate to use the book as a pillow, but the boy just does that. So I need to see everything with a fresh perspective and see the utility value (Mac without floppy drives)
•I need to seek help when I don’t understand something. Once the help is there, I still need to make my decision (going to Gypsy and then going to Pyramids in search of treasure).
•In time of loss on the path to achieving a goal it is always important to consider how close I have come to achieving the goal rather than how far I am from the goal. I need to be constantly aware of the purpose I started with.
•Once I am able to unlock the message hidden in most simple things like grain of sand I will be able to comprehend whatever is considered the most complex.

Final lessons:

•We tend to believe life is all about
–Having, To Have – We do, To Do – We Live
•Called the To Have -> Do -> Be paradigm

•If we think a bit, it is about
–Being, For Being – Do X, Having is just a side effect
•Called the Being -> Doing -> Having paradigm

•Be -> Feel the passion & joy inside you.
•Be at peace with what you are & what you do.
•Enjoy what you do -> it seems & becomes effortless to you
•When it is effortless results will flow automatically

Trying to create something exceptional makes you/me/us exceptional


•As a company strive to build something extraordinarily good for the end consumer – Leadership in technology, market, & financial world are just the side effects of this.
•As a software engineer enjoy creating a flawless code (NO, flawless code is not an oxymoron J) or creating something simple, useful, usable, & beautiful. For that person, it will translate to better achievements in all other spheres. So ENJOY doing good work and take PRIDE in it.
•If I look at it from Indian perspective – Achieving perfection in performing one’s Dharma automatically leads to good results in the areas of artha, kama, moksha J.
•APART FROM THAT YOU NEED LUCK / GRACE of GOD – Some people have more of it.

Lessons about living - Finding the better half - Part III

Yes, I got married :-). For finding and once found

1. Your future dreams and common interests matter more than the similar background. - I used to be scared of pursuing girls who were from different regions or from different cultural background as I used to think cultural past would mar the future. Now I can certainly say, it is not the common cultural background, but it is the future dreams and common aspirtaions that matter more.
2. At least once in life we encounter one person who comes closest to our ideals. Then even if I don't say anything everything is known, but realizing that I have found that person and making the move is important. There is only one maxima in life's curve, all others are sub optimal solutions. Don't hesitate at that moment.
3. Don't marry if you don't believe that such thing can exist.
4. Once found listen, accommodate, understand, share with honesty, & talk.

Pandit Ravi Shankar & Tiger Woods :-)

My dear readers,

Compare the lives of Pandit Ravi Shankar & Tiger woods. Chuckle for yourselves. They are a study in contrast. So think, have fun, & learn the way to lead life.

sincerely,
AG

Lessons about living - Finding the better half - Part II

Found the one. Some things I forgot to write in the first part

1. Being with the person matters & not having the person.
2. Be ready to change / at least modify some behaviors.
3. Usually somehow God makes the paths of people who are supposed to be together cross. At that time we must understand - i used to ignore this. This does not mean i need to chase everybody, but i connect with some people better than others and i know it.
4. Look for happiness & everything else will follow. Don't look for material things and expect happiness to follow. It may happen, but it will always be better to use the principle of putting happiness first.
5. The fear about tomorrow simply evaporates when I am with the right person - yes reality may bite hard, but I don't feel helpless in facing that reality.
6. Mind and heart are two things. Use both. What comes first - no definitive answer. Whatever we choose; should appeal to both - it avoids internal conflict and confusion.

Wish you all a very joyous new year.